1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for limiting the spreading of a treatment liquid being sprayed onto a textile material treated therewith. It also relates to a device for removing stains and dirt from a textile material combined with the apparatus for limiting the spreading of a treatment liquid being sprayed onto the textile material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to remove spots from textile materials, i.e. planar textile products, it is generally known to spray a liquid spot remover, pressurized liquids including a washing agent having a low lathering power and also merely water against the area to be cleaned. It is hereto known, for instance, to direct a pressurized liquid which includes a washing agent having a low lathering power and also the water against the area to be cleaned in form of a sharp pulsating jet.
Because now on the one hand an ascertaining if the dirt has indeed been removed from the respective area can proceed only after the area has been dried and because specifically in case of an improper cleaning so-called dirt rings may be generated, efforts are made to keep the extent of the area which is wetted for a cleaning thereof as small as possible. The spreading of a liquid sprayed onto an area or spot, respectively, to be cleaned can occur basically in three fashions.
A part of the droplets which are sprayed against the textile material bounce back away from the material and spatter in all directions such that an area is wetted which is considerably larger than actually intended. Quite obviously the relative amount of the liquid droplets which bounce off depends on the density of the fabric or how fine the meshes of the textile material are. A further part of the treatment liquid does not penetrate completely through the fabric in order to be removed at its bottom or rear, respectively, side, e.g. by means of a sucking off. This part flows on the surface of the textile fabric away and outwards from the area which has been wetted. A further part of the liquid sprayed onto the textile material does indeed penetrate the fabric, is however not in the position to completely flow through the fabric in order to be sucked off at the reverse side of the fabric by means of a source of induced draught. This part of the liquid spreads within the fabric proper e.g. by capillary action or in that the individual fibers absorb the liquid.
This unwanted spreading of the cleaning liquid depends such as set forth above on the fabric proper whereby not all textile materials are penetrable to the same extent. In case of relatively coarse woven or knitted, respectively, textile fabrics up to 95% of the liquid sprayed thereagainst can penetrate through the meshes. In case of e.g. more densely woven fabrics or such which have been treated with corresponding impregnating agents the extent of the penetration is much more limited. It is known that in specific cases only 10 to 20% of the liquid sprayed onto such material penetrates completely through the textile material and the largest portion thereof, i.e. up to 90% is atomized above the material in the air or remains as a puddle of liquid on the surface thereof. The smaller the portion of the volume of the amount of the liquid which truly penetrates through the material to be cleaned is, the larger the totally sprayed amount of liquid must obviously be, and accordingly, the unwanted spreading of the treatment liquid in and on the material occurs.
Specifically in textile plants it is known to guide the webs of the fabrics or the areas thereof to be examined and to be cleaned not horizontally but rather slanted and oftentimes almost vertically such that the spreading of the liquid placed thereupon, of the wet spot is highly influenced by the forces of gravity and accordingly, a considerable wetting of a downwards extending area of the material is suffered.